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China

Economics

U.S.-China Relations

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump paused plans to sanction China's Ministry of State Security over its role in the 2024 major hack on U.S. infrastructure called Salt Typhoon, according to Financial Times sources on Dec. 4.

U.S., China: Trump Pauses Sanctions, Constrains Export Curbs To Support China Deal

Australia

Japan

Philippines

Taiwan

Military & Security

China's military seems to be conducting a major drill, slowly building since Nov. 14, with upward of 100 vessels and aircraft moving in the East and South China seas and in the West Pacific, according to defense representatives from China's regional neighbors cited by Reuters, but no Chinese military authorities have formally announced drills yet.

China: Cross-Pacific Military Drill To Deepen Regional Defense Pushback

Europe

France

Politics

French President Emmanuel Macron called for more Chinese investment in Europe and for Beijing to boost domestic consumption to address widening trade imbalances during a meeting in Beijing with President Xi Jinping, warning that a trade war would be the worst way to manage these tensions, Reuters reported Dec. 4.

France, China: Macron Calls on China To Address 'Unsustainable' Trade Imbalances

Hong Kong SAR, China

United Kingdom

The Hong Kong police arrested two individuals for calling for an independent investigation into the government's response to the Nov. 26 Wang Fuk Court apartment fire, which killed at least 156 people, The New York Times reported on Dec. 3.

Hong Kong: Dissenters Arrested Over Government Critiques Ahead of Elections

U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act after the bill passed the Senate and House, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 3. 

U.S. Taiwan: U.S. Bill To Facilitate Talks With Taiwan, Stir Chinese Retaliation

Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) decided not to move President William Lai's proposed $40 billion supplemental defense budget through committees for review, the South China Morning Post reported Dec. 2.

Taiwan: Legislature Rejects Lai's Defense Spending Plan

U.S. President Donald Trump called Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Nov. 25 and briefed her on his recent call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

U.S., Japan: Trump Vows Support for Takaichi Amid Japan-China Dispute

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on Nov. 24, Bloomberg reported. Trump accepted Xi's invitation for an April 2026 visit to Beijing and invited the Chinese leader for a reciprocal state visit to the United States, while Xi emphasized that Taiwan's "return to China" remains foundational Chinese policy.

U.S., China: Trump and Xi Discuss Reciprocal State Visits During Phone Call

Columns

On Geopolitics

Taiwanese President William Lai (center), flanked by other top officials in his government, discusses plans to propose a $40 billion supplemental defense budget during a news conference in Taipei on Nov. 26, 2025.

The 2025 Taiwan National Defense Report reflects Taipei's growing intent and tactical capabilities for deterrence by denial against a Chinese invasion, but it also highlights persistent challenges that contribute to a continually rising risk of conflict through 2028.

Taiwan Report Highlights Evolving Security Orientation

Assessments

Honduras

Ukraine

Russia

India

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their bilateral meeting during the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

Energy

Global Trade

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin-Modi Meeting, Honduras General Election

While efforts by China and others to de-dollarize their international trade will fragment the international trade financing regime to some extent, they will do little to undermine the dollar's dominance.

The Geopolitics of Trade: De-dollarization and International Trade

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

U.S. President Donald Trump (C), joined by lawmakers and members of his administration, delivers remarks during a dinner with leaders of Central Asian countries in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 6, 2025.

The recent C5+1 summit highlighted the U.S.'s desire to boost cooperation with Central Asian countries on trade and critical minerals, but the region's geography, governance and reliance on China and Russia will ultimately limit the impact of such efforts. 

The Promise and Limits of Increased U.S. Engagement in Central Asia

Brazil

Iraq

Syria

Campaign posters Nov. 6 ahead of Nov. 11 Iraqi parliamentary elections in central Baghdad.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: Iraqi Elections, a U.S.-China Deal Enters Effect

South Sudan

Burundi

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Kenya

Malawi

Mozambique

Rwanda

Tanzania

Uganda

Zambia

The Geopolitics of Trade

Over the next decade, Kenya and Tanzania will compete for the title of East Africa's leading trade gateway, particularly as global demand for Central Africa's critical minerals grows. 

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 1 

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a photo session for participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 on Sept. 1, 2025, in Tianjin, China.

The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) outlines Beijing's intent to continue current economic policies, pursue new industrial priorities, further securitize Chinese society, escalate Xi's anti-corruption campaign, and use lawfare to fend off foreign trade disputes.

President Xi Lays Out China's Plans for the Next Five Years

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping leave after their talks at the Gimhae Air Base, in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025. 

The framework deal favors China by boosting its export competitiveness, but future escalations with the U.S. are likely over the coming year due to differing interpretations of the new measures and ongoing trade tensions.

China Secures Favorable U.S. Trade Deal, New Escalations Still Likely

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

U.S. President Donald Trump (center) poses for a group photo with the leaders of (L-R) Singapore, East Timor, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Laos during the ASEAN leaders summit on Oct. 26, 2025. 

The summit highlighted the Southeast Asian bloc's attempts to boost internal unity and economic integration amid the U.S.-China rivalry, but it also exposed structural divides and external pressures that hinder unified action and leave ASEAN states vulnerable to coercion.

The Takeaways From the 2025 ASEAN Summit

Germany

Slovakia

Hungary

European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive for a meeting of the European Council on Oct. 23. The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

Europe's Dual Challenge From China and Russia

Cameroon

Cote d'Ivoire

Argentina

South Korea

Netherlands

Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump speak to reporters during a bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Oct. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Trump and Albanese agreed to tighten defense and supply chain integration as a way to reduce their countries' reliance on China, but industrial bottlenecks mean implementation will be slow.

U.S.-Australia Leadership Summit Yields Critical Minerals Pact, AUKUS Reaffirmation

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., China: Trump Pauses Sanctions, Constrains Export Curbs To Support China Deal

China: Cross-Pacific Military Drill To Deepen Regional Defense Pushback

France, China: Macron Calls on China To Address 'Unsustainable' Trade Imbalances

Hong Kong: Dissenters Arrested Over Government Critiques Ahead of Elections

U.S. Taiwan: U.S. Bill To Facilitate Talks With Taiwan, Stir Chinese Retaliation

Taiwan: Legislature Rejects Lai's Defense Spending Plan

U.S., Japan: Trump Vows Support for Takaichi Amid Japan-China Dispute

U.S., China: Trump and Xi Discuss Reciprocal State Visits During Phone Call

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